This thread is for the discussion of my latest article, Adventures in Shandalar. We would be grateful if you would let us know what you think, but please keep your comments on topic.
Discussion of how to download Shandalar will get you an automatic suspension as per the forum rules. Do not do it. -ed
Please fix the formatting of the article so it can actually be read! For all I know, I'm about to repeat things from the article...
Anyhow, loved Shandalar. Since I hear that XP installation is really hit or miss, I've strongly been considering finding some old junker computer with Windows 95 on it and re-installing the game now that I have both expansions.
The only thing that annoyed the hell out of me was that the computer would get bogged down in the thought process. If you got too many cards out on the board (which I did, since I loved to build a stasis lock deck), the A.I. could slow down to where it literally took 15-30 minutes just to decide what card it wanted to play.
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L1 MtG judge (L2 coming soon) and Dominion tournament coordinator serving Flint MI and its surrounding cities.
I remember I built a life gain deck - mainly spirit link on serra angel - to go through the dungeons and get all the treasures (you retain your life points going from one opponent to another so before you kill off your opponent, gain a large amount of life before going off to the next)
I also remember actively looking to duel Mind Stealers to duplicate Black Lotuses or Moxes. Fun, fun indeed.
Now where can I download this game? My old copy is probably lost.No. If anyone else asks, automatic suspension.
Images are fixed - they were sized right for the forum, but articles are a little narrower. :/ Also, added mod-text to the first post reminding you all not to discuss illegal downloads. This is not debatable. I'm sure if you really want to find it, you can without discussing it here.
"Sufficiently advanced experience is indistinguishable from clairvoyance." -Carsten
"Ah those eyes, those horrible creepy eyes!" -Chaosof99
DCI Level 3 Judge & TO "I do not consider myself a hero. I know only what the Vec teach:
justice must always be served and corruption must always be opposed."
Go read! I am one of the three authors of Cranial Insertion.
But seriously, if you can't remember "Woapalanne", just call me Eli.
Got it from a friend a while back...Building insane decks is fun (3 Ancestral Recalls / all moxes / lotus / Serra / Juggy / Juzam / Spirit Link and Time Walk)
:D:D Just awesome
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Signed card collector Current signed cards count (31.12.16):
Diff. signed cards: 16'451 Artist alters: 828 Beta Project: 2574/2853 Grand Total signed cards: 42'091
"Sufficiently advanced experience is indistinguishable from clairvoyance." -Carsten
"Ah those eyes, those horrible creepy eyes!" -Chaosof99
DCI Level 3 Judge & TO "I do not consider myself a hero. I know only what the Vec teach:
justice must always be served and corruption must always be opposed."
Go read! I am one of the three authors of Cranial Insertion.
But seriously, if you can't remember "Woapalanne", just call me Eli.
I've had opponents tim their own creatures in shadalar and then the creatures died.
Two points of note:
1) There were legends cards as well. I recall having a Hellfire when I tried the game out two years ago. Also, I think most of the annoyance with that stupid randomly random randomness blue card is that it's accompanied by a loud obnoxious sound effect.
2) Did anybody else ever have the dungeon where opponents all started with a friggin Juzam in play? So you start with ten life, if you dont draw a blocker or a stp or some sort of crazy lotus mana you just die before you play a second land.
One of the most enjoyable Magic articles I've read. Even though I've never played Shandalar, I could feel the intense nostalgia and musty "old-school fun" seep into my pores. It's the same feeling I get playing Might and Magic on a DOS emulator. I felt like I could breathe the game reading this.
the old wonky sound effects kept firing off in my brain while reading this!! ah love it! must have this game again... why don't they make an update of this great game?
Thanks for all the kind words guys, glad some of you still get a kick out of the game. The computer AI can be pretty terrible but that's not always such a problem- the cards are so simple that there's actually not that much room to outplay the comp, it's really a completely different game to modern magic. Fun, but of course ultimately less satisfying/rewarding/deep etc.
I've heard that Juzam is in the game somewhere but never got my hands on one- can anyone confirm how it's done? I'm guessing you have to Tablet it from an opponent's deck or something.
Thanks for all the kind words guys, glad some of you still get a kick out of the game. The computer AI can be pretty terrible but that's not always such a problem- the cards are so simple that there's actually not that much room to outplay the comp, it's really a completely different game to modern magic. Fun, but of course ultimately less satisfying/rewarding/deep etc.
I've heard that Juzam is in the game somewhere but never got my hands on one- can anyone confirm how it's done? I'm guessing you have to Tablet it from an opponent's deck or something.
Juzam is in a dungeon somewhere...same with Mind Twist, Ali from Cairo, the power9 and the some others I can't recall (oh yeah: Recall is another one :D)
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Signed card collector Current signed cards count (31.12.16):
Diff. signed cards: 16'451 Artist alters: 828 Beta Project: 2574/2853 Grand Total signed cards: 42'091
The boss mana-burned himself to death by tapping all of his lands at the end of my turn and not doing anything at all.
His eternal slumber has led him to senior moments.
There is actually a horrible, horrible, powerful bug I discovered in the game way back when it came out that lets you defeat any opponent. During your opponents upkeep, but only during their upkeep, you can tap their lands for mana and it gets added to their mana pool. They mana burn and then fail to play any spells during their turn from lack of mana.
Juzam is in a dungeon somewhere...same with Mind Twist, Ali from Cairo, the power9 and the some others I can't recall (oh yeah: Recall is another one :D)
I'm not sure, I've beaten the game a few times now clearing out all the dungeons (or so i thought) and never seen Juzam in there.
Wow, I had really forgotten about this game for a while, but this was some REALLY fun reminiscing. Very well-written; I had to stop myself from laughing at my desk at work.
I'd love to see some follow-up on this, a strategy guide would be great, but thats just because the stray observations are the most fun part of this article.
I couldn't help but add: "I've seen enterprising players in discussion threads elsewhere post about how to hack the game and edit the monsters' decks to your liking, creating a virtual metagame filled with cutting edge '97 tech..." ... played by complete mongoloids.
There is actually a horrible, horrible, powerful bug I discovered in the game way back when it came out that lets you defeat any opponent. During your opponents upkeep, but only during their upkeep, you can tap their lands for mana and it gets added to their mana pool. They mana burn and then fail to play any spells during their turn from lack of mana.
Yeah, I actually didn't want to mention this in the article since it's not a good thing to know about... you'll ruin the game very quickly if you start doing this. Of course if you're disciplined you can just not use this cheat!
The game's full of little exploits and unfair things you can do, the trick is just to ignore the worst of them and play for fun. These little oddities also make the game fun for goofing around in when you just want a quick session... I really enjoy making decks that use absurdly powerful mana + support cards (Lotus, Ancestral Recall, Moxen etc) to win through really rubbish win conditions.
Anyway, looks like this article stirred a few happy memories so I'll very probably do a follow-up
One sticky thing I noticed though: when you explain how to get more starting life totals, you said something about "mana links". I know what these are because I play this game all the time, but I'm not sure it's clear for those who are just learning about it for the first time. Could be wrong though.
I thought it was funny how you mentioned the 4x Sinkhole, 4x Hyppie, etc. deck. That was the first deck I made in the game. It is the nuts.
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In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.
Anyway, looks like this article stirred a few happy memories so I'll very probably do a follow-up
You could stir up nightmares by talking about the OTHER MtG game that came out the same time as Shandalar. I don't remember much about it other than it really sucked. You would summon the creature and it'd start wandering around the board towards the other wizard. I remember that the key mechanics of the game didn't work, like First Strike or Protection. IIRC, Microprose sued the company that released it, stating that it was causing confusion in the marketplace or something like that.
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L1 MtG judge (L2 coming soon) and Dominion tournament coordinator serving Flint MI and its surrounding cities.
Man...shandalaar... now that was a kick...
Played it two years ago and man, what a rush....
I hadn't got that feeling since i started playing magic, back in 4th and homelands. It was pure really old fashion magic feeling, and it was fun...so much fun...
I would really like to play an update of that game, a game with the up-to-date rules and cards, but with the same feeling...
A guy can dream....:D
You could stir up nightmares by talking about the OTHER MtG game that came out the same time as Shandalar. I don't remember much about it other than it really sucked. You would summon the creature and it'd start wandering around the board towards the other wizard. I remember that the key mechanics of the game didn't work, like First Strike or Protection. IIRC, Microprose sued the company that released it, stating that it was causing confusion in the marketplace or something like that.
That would be Battlemage: wikipedia says:
Magic: The Gathering: BattleMage is a real time strategy game published in 1997 by Acclaim. It is set on the continent of Corondor, where a planeswalker named Ravidel forces the most powerful mages to fight each other, so that he can eventually destroy them and conquer the land. The game received a poor critical reception due to its unfair AI, unfriendly interface, and unbalanced gameplay.
I never played it, since I was an avid reader of PC review mags back then and all of them said it was terrible.
One sticky thing I noticed though: when you explain how to get more starting life totals, you said something about "mana links". I know what these are because I play this game all the time, but I'm not sure it's clear for those who are just learning about it for the first time. Could be wrong though.
True enough; the idea was to give people a general intro to the game then let them figure a lot of it out on their own, rather than try to be comprehensive about every aspect of play since that would have been rather long and possibly dull. Duly noted though, I'll be careful in the followup to explain terms carefully.
I've still got two copies of the original disc for shandalar. I've built so many crazy combo decks and played way too many sealed tournaments where grizzly bears is a bomb and you have to run 4 colors. On XP the game likes to run weirder than usual but the hardest thing about the game is getting used to the pre 6th rules all over again. I've blocked with mishra's factory so many times and pumped it with itself and then been soooo pissed.
I love this game.
Living in relative isolation as I became a fan of Magic, this game was critical in teaching me game winning strategies until I could find flesh and blood players to play against. When to cast, when not to cast. When to attack and when to lie low.
It's a wicked resource, and also promotes respect for the classic editions of our beloved cardboard skirmishes.
And there's something so perverse in building a deck that's powered by an unrestricted number of Lotuses. Leviathan, anyone?
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Currently Playing Casual: BG Death March Deluxe,R Red Bull Elementals,G Garruk's Quillspikes,B Demigod's Hallowe'en,U Classic Fae,W Kithkin
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Discussion of how to download Shandalar will get you an automatic suspension as per the forum rules. Do not do it. -ed
Tokyo Draft: A Cube Report
Adventures in Shandalar
Anyhow, loved Shandalar. Since I hear that XP installation is really hit or miss, I've strongly been considering finding some old junker computer with Windows 95 on it and re-installing the game now that I have both expansions.
The only thing that annoyed the hell out of me was that the computer would get bogged down in the thought process. If you got too many cards out on the board (which I did, since I loved to build a stasis lock deck), the A.I. could slow down to where it literally took 15-30 minutes just to decide what card it wanted to play.
I remember I built a life gain deck - mainly spirit link on serra angel - to go through the dungeons and get all the treasures (you retain your life points going from one opponent to another so before you kill off your opponent, gain a large amount of life before going off to the next)
I also remember actively looking to duel Mind Stealers to duplicate Black Lotuses or Moxes. Fun, fun indeed.
Now where can I download this game? My old copy is probably lost.No. If anyone else asks, automatic suspension."Sufficiently advanced experience is indistinguishable from clairvoyance." -Carsten
"Ah those eyes, those horrible creepy eyes!" -Chaosof99
DCI Level 3 Judge & TO
"I do not consider myself a hero. I know only what the Vec teach:
justice must always be served and corruption must always be opposed."
Go read! I am one of the three authors of Cranial Insertion.
But seriously, if you can't remember "Woapalanne", just call me Eli.
:D:D Just awesome
Current signed cards count (31.12.16):
Artist alters: 828
Beta Project: 2574/2853
Grand Total signed cards: 42'091
All my stuff in a FB group
Me@WOTC
The boss mana-burned himself to death by tapping all of his lands at the end of my turn and not doing anything at all.
His eternal slumber has led him to senior moments.
"Sufficiently advanced experience is indistinguishable from clairvoyance." -Carsten
"Ah those eyes, those horrible creepy eyes!" -Chaosof99
DCI Level 3 Judge & TO
"I do not consider myself a hero. I know only what the Vec teach:
justice must always be served and corruption must always be opposed."
Go read! I am one of the three authors of Cranial Insertion.
But seriously, if you can't remember "Woapalanne", just call me Eli.
Two points of note:
1) There were legends cards as well. I recall having a Hellfire when I tried the game out two years ago. Also, I think most of the annoyance with that stupid randomly random randomness blue card is that it's accompanied by a loud obnoxious sound effect.
2) Did anybody else ever have the dungeon where opponents all started with a friggin Juzam in play? So you start with ten life, if you dont draw a blocker or a stp or some sort of crazy lotus mana you just die before you play a second land.
One of the most enjoyable Magic articles I've read. Even though I've never played Shandalar, I could feel the intense nostalgia and musty "old-school fun" seep into my pores. It's the same feeling I get playing Might and Magic on a DOS emulator. I felt like I could breathe the game reading this.
Thanks; I might look into it.
Other than that, the game was awesome. I loved it, and still play it now. (I play the Red/Green burn deck.)
I've heard that Juzam is in the game somewhere but never got my hands on one- can anyone confirm how it's done? I'm guessing you have to Tablet it from an opponent's deck or something.
Tokyo Draft: A Cube Report
Adventures in Shandalar
Juzam is in a dungeon somewhere...same with Mind Twist, Ali from Cairo, the power9 and the some others I can't recall (oh yeah: Recall is another one :D)
Current signed cards count (31.12.16):
Artist alters: 828
Beta Project: 2574/2853
Grand Total signed cards: 42'091
All my stuff in a FB group
Me@WOTC
There is actually a horrible, horrible, powerful bug I discovered in the game way back when it came out that lets you defeat any opponent. During your opponents upkeep, but only during their upkeep, you can tap their lands for mana and it gets added to their mana pool. They mana burn and then fail to play any spells during their turn from lack of mana.
I'm not sure, I've beaten the game a few times now clearing out all the dungeons (or so i thought) and never seen Juzam in there.
Tokyo Draft: A Cube Report
Adventures in Shandalar
I'd love to see some follow-up on this, a strategy guide would be great, but thats just because the stray observations are the most fun part of this article.
I couldn't help but add:
"I've seen enterprising players in discussion threads elsewhere post about how to hack the game and edit the monsters' decks to your liking, creating a virtual metagame filled with cutting edge '97 tech..." ... played by complete mongoloids.
Yeah, I actually didn't want to mention this in the article since it's not a good thing to know about... you'll ruin the game very quickly if you start doing this. Of course if you're disciplined you can just not use this cheat!
The game's full of little exploits and unfair things you can do, the trick is just to ignore the worst of them and play for fun. These little oddities also make the game fun for goofing around in when you just want a quick session... I really enjoy making decks that use absurdly powerful mana + support cards (Lotus, Ancestral Recall, Moxen etc) to win through really rubbish win conditions.
Anyway, looks like this article stirred a few happy memories so I'll very probably do a follow-up
Tokyo Draft: A Cube Report
Adventures in Shandalar
One sticky thing I noticed though: when you explain how to get more starting life totals, you said something about "mana links". I know what these are because I play this game all the time, but I'm not sure it's clear for those who are just learning about it for the first time. Could be wrong though.
I thought it was funny how you mentioned the 4x Sinkhole, 4x Hyppie, etc. deck. That was the first deck I made in the game. It is the nuts.
3 mishra's workshop
4 Juggernaut
4 Su-chi
2 Triskelion
lotsa moxes, black loti, ancestrals, lighting bolts, wheel of fortune, and so on.
Nothing felt better than curving out with,
t1: juggernaut
t2: juggernaut
t3: su-chi, lighting-bolt, wheel of fortune, etc.
Didn't take a single damage from the final boss. Shandalar rawks!
You could stir up nightmares by talking about the OTHER MtG game that came out the same time as Shandalar. I don't remember much about it other than it really sucked. You would summon the creature and it'd start wandering around the board towards the other wizard. I remember that the key mechanics of the game didn't work, like First Strike or Protection. IIRC, Microprose sued the company that released it, stating that it was causing confusion in the marketplace or something like that.
Played it two years ago and man, what a rush....
I hadn't got that feeling since i started playing magic, back in 4th and homelands. It was pure really old fashion magic feeling, and it was fun...so much fun...
I would really like to play an update of that game, a game with the up-to-date rules and cards, but with the same feeling...
A guy can dream....:D
I didn't do anything about towns. Highest difficulty. I got there at three life. He started with two Lotuses in play.
By the time my Time Walks ran out he was on, like, 260. I just had a bad draw, you know?
He untaps and Bolts me. HAVING HAD TWO LOTUSES IN PLAY ALL GAME. GG, Shandalar. GG.
That would be Battlemage: wikipedia says:
I never played it, since I was an avid reader of PC review mags back then and all of them said it was terrible.
True enough; the idea was to give people a general intro to the game then let them figure a lot of it out on their own, rather than try to be comprehensive about every aspect of play since that would have been rather long and possibly dull. Duly noted though, I'll be careful in the followup to explain terms carefully.
Eratos: look here, it's an upcoming Xbox game
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic:_The_Gathering_video_games#Magic:_The_Gathering:_Duels_of_the_Planeswalkers
Tokyo Draft: A Cube Report
Adventures in Shandalar
Living in relative isolation as I became a fan of Magic, this game was critical in teaching me game winning strategies until I could find flesh and blood players to play against. When to cast, when not to cast. When to attack and when to lie low.
It's a wicked resource, and also promotes respect for the classic editions of our beloved cardboard skirmishes.
And there's something so perverse in building a deck that's powered by an unrestricted number of Lotuses. Leviathan, anyone?
Currently Playing Casual:
BG Death March Deluxe,R Red Bull Elementals,G Garruk's Quillspikes,B Demigod's Hallowe'en,U Classic Fae,W Kithkin